One Out Of Every Ten Wall Street Employees Is A Psychopath, Say Researchers

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One Out Of Every Ten Wall Street Employees Is A Psychopath, Say Researchers

One out of every 10 Wall Street employees is likely a clinical psychopath, writes journalist Sherree DeCovny in an upcoming issue of the trade publication CFA Magazine (subscription required). In the general population the rate is closer to one percent.

"A financial psychopath can present as a perfect well-rounded job candidate, CEO, manager, co-worker, and team member because their destructive characteristics are practically invisible," writes DeCovny, who pulls together research from several psychologists for her story, which helpfully suggests that financial firms carefully screen out extreme psychopaths in hiring.

To be sure, typical psychopathic behavior runs the gamut. At the extreme end is Bateman, portrayed by Christian Bale, in the 2000 movie "American Psycho," as an investment banker who actually kills people and exhibits no remorse. When health professionals talk about "psychopaths," they have a broader range of behavior in mind.

A clinical psychopath is bright, gregarious and charming, writes DeCovny. He lies easily and often, and may have trouble feeling empathy for other people. He's probably also more willing to take dangerous risks -- either because he doesn't understand the consequences, or because he simply doesn't care.

An appetite for risk can seem like a positive business trait on Wall Street, where big gambles sometimes lead to big rewards. But for the people DeCovny is talking about, the outcomes matter less than the gambles themselves -- and the chemical rush of serotonin and endorphins that accompanies them.

This is hardly the first time that mental illness has been equated with a certain capacity for professional success -- especially in the financial sector, where some stock traders have actually scored higher than diagnosed psychopaths on tests that measure competitiveness and attraction to risk.

Some psychologists have long claimed that the qualities that make for a high-achieving politician or stockbroker are also the same traits that psychopaths have in abundance.

Other researchers generalize it to bosses as a species, saying that about 4 percent of all executives are psychopaths -- and that their relative lack of scruples is what helps them excel in business.

Well if one in ten Wall Street employees is a psychopath then 6 in 10 liberals must be and 8 in 10 progressives must be psychopaths.

Or maybe more likely it's that now researchers and liberals (huge overlap) have changed their "definition" of "psychopath" to include those who make money but don't feel enough remorse (by their definition) if they make more than what they decide "those people" should be able to make.

DCKit (15,639 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore
1. One out of every ten researchers is going to be dead by this time tomorrow.

wow...every day it seems Ayn Rand was on to something in Atlas Shrugged...

"Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings..." Patrick Henry

Or maybe more likely it's that now researchers and liberals (huge overlap) have changed their "definition" of "psychopath" to include those who make money but don't feel enough remorse (by their definition) if they make more than what they decide "those people" should be able to make.

Agree 100%, Carol.

Quote from article ...

Other researchers generalize it to bosses as a species, saying that about 4 percent of all executives are psychopaths -- and that their relative lack of scruples is what helps them excel in business.

Wow! Wonder if I have been married all these years to a psychopath?

Sure hope not!

This whole study is nothing but pure, unadulterated, BS ... just more "Class Warfare" to rile up the masses for Obama in November.